Cleaning-machine.



G. L. GUUGHNOUR. CLEANING MACHINE. urmourol Imm 0012s, 190s.

968,934. Patented Aug. 30 1910.

2 SHEETS-B IEET 1.

AT TOR N EY C. L. GOUGHNOUR. CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOI FILED 00T. 28, 1908. 968,934.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOF? WAS-@0MM ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

CHARLES L. GOUGHNOUB, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY HESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO THE UNITED ELECTRIC COMPANY, 'OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CLEANING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Aplication led October 28, 1808. SerialNo.

Patented Aug. 30, 1910.

l'o all whom it may wacom:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. Cronen- NOUR, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State ofOhio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cleaning-Machines,of

Which the following'is a specification.

4 lower side,

The invention relates to a machine for cleaning a carpet, a floor orother similar fiat substance or surface, and the general object of theimprovement is to combine a suction fan and agitat'ing brushes on asingle spindle with a suitable motor, whereby a slm le and compactmachine is produced witlliout any gearing or complicated connections. Y

Another .feature of the invention is to make the peripheral sides of thesuction fan of two fiat and comparatively narrow rings, between whichrings the fan vanes are formed or connected; to completely close theupper side of the fan with an inverted coneshaped wall, the apex ofwhich depends to or near the plane of the lower side, whereby the aircurrents are deflected and thrown directly outward between the parallelrings; and to leave substantially the whole of the and the blower cavityaround the cone, open for the free suction of air.

A further object of the invention is to completely close the lower sideof the motorsection of the'case, preferably by an inverted cone-shapedpartition, and to leave the whole of the lower side of the blowersection of the case open for presentation to the surface to be cleaned,thus bringing the open side of the fan contiguous to or in directcontact with the wor Anadditional feature of the invention is to adaptthe machine for use with an electric motor, and to provide a switchmechanism for the motor which will start the rotor at the same time theelectric current is closed,

v whereby an alternating current single phase motor can be used, such acurrent being more generally available in the residential regions ofcities. 4

These objects and features of the invention,

other ancillary advantages, are illustrated in thus set forth in generalterms, andV the accompanying drawings, hereof, in whic Figure 1 is alongitudinahvertical section of the. cleaning machine; Fig. 2, anunderside plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a cross section, looking upwardon line 3 3, Fig. 1; and F ig. 4, a detached erspective View of thecentrifugal-dogs wit a detached fragmentary sectional view of thevadjacent end of the rotor hub.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the drawi s.

The case l is and the upper or motor section 2 is preferably of lessdlameter than the lower or blower section 3. The top of the motorsection is closed by the cover 2a formed or attached on the cylindricside Wall thereof, and the top of the annularly extending portion of theblower section is closed by the cover 3, which connects the cylindricwall of the motor section with the cylindric wall of the blower section.The inverted cone-shaped partition 4 is formed or attached in the case,with its peripheral edges joined thereto at or near the angle of themotor section with the cover of the blower section, and with its apexextending downward into the cavity of the blower section; thuscompletely closing the chamber 5 of the motor section, and conipletelyseparating it from the cavity 6 of the blower section, the entire lowerside of which blower section is left open for presentation-to thesubstance or surface to be cleaned.

The triangular extensions 7 and 8 are provided on the periphery of theblower section of the case, one extension 7 being preferably located inthe middle of the forward portion and two extensions 8 being preferablylocated on opposite sides of the rear portion of the machme; in whichforward extension the caster 9 is swiveled and in which rear extensionsthe rollers l0 are ivotally mounted. The machine is adapte fto besupported and to travel on the easter and. the rollers, and theswiveledcaster permitsa free turning and movement of the machine in alldirections. The lower edges 11 and 12 of these extensions are preferablyformed in forming part similar parts the same plane with the lower edge13 of the cylindric wall of the blower section of the'case; and theseedges are located slightly above the lower bearing sides of the casterand rollers, and are thus normally near but not in contact with thesubstance or surface to be cleaned. The outlet neck 14 on which themouth 15 of the dust-receiving sack 16 is adapted to be telesco ed andsecured, is formed or attached preferably on the rear side of the blowersection of the case, and the rear end of the dust-sack is preferablysuspended from the hook 17 on the handle 18 of the machine.

The axially-located spindle 19 of the machine is journaled in thetubular bearing 20 which is formed or attached and depends from thecover of the motor section, and in the bearing 21 which is formed orattached in and extends above the apex of the invert, ed-cone shapedpartition il which constitutes the bottom of the motor chamber. Therotor 22 and the blower fan 23 are securely attached on the spindle, theone above the partition bearing and the other below the partitionbearing in the end opening of the case and substantially flush with theedge 13 thereof; and the hubs 24 and 25 of the rotor and the fan, byabutting the Kupper and lower ends of the partition bearing, serve tohold the spindle in proper position.

rIhe upper side of the fan is preferably complete y closed by a wallwhich is composed of the flat ring portion 26 and the centrallydepressed inverted-cone shaped portion 27, the latter of which is4formed or attached on the hub of the fan; but on the lower side of thefan is provided only the comparatively narrow, flat peripheral ring 28located adjacent to the edge 13 of the case and substantially Hushtherewith. The

upper l and lower rings are connected ory joined together by theinterveningvanes 29 of thefan, which are uprightly arranged bef tweenthe rings and are preferably curved backward, as the fan is rotated,from true radial lines, in the usual manner, to increase the outwardthrow of air when the fan is rotated. The agitating brushes 30, of whichthree are illustrated, are preferably secured to the upper wall of thefan at or near the an le of the cone-shaped depression therein, an thefree ends of the brushes extend downward inside the lower ring to orslightly below the plane of the bearing sides of the caster and rollers,so that the brushes will positively bear on and rub against thesubstanceV or surface to be cleaned.

It is evident that a rotation of the fan will cause the brushes to rubagainst the carpet or floor and will loosen the dust or dirt thereon,and that the suction caused by the current of air which is forced out-.ceivingward by the fan vanes will draw the air inward under the edgesof the case and under the lower narrow, flat ring of the'blower, andalso upward through the body of the surface to be cleaned if the same isporous; thence upward through the open lower side of the blower andoutward between the vanes of the fan, being positively deflected thusoutward by the inverted-cone shaped portion of the upper Wall if not socarried by the air current;and thence with the air current around theperiphery of the case and outward throu h its neck into the receivingbag. It wil be understood that the air escapes through the porous wallsof the rebag and that the dust and refuse from the cleaned carpet orsurface is caught in the bag,.from which itis removed when desired bydetaching the mouth of the bag from the machine.

It is evident that the surface of the carpet or the door is exposed tothe action of the agitating brushes, as the machine is moved from placeto place; that the whole of the surface which is opposed to the o enside of the fan inside the lower perip ieral ring thereof is subject tothe suction of the blower; that the dust and dirt is received directlyinto the blower and is deflected and discharged therefrom by theshortest possible route, without encountering any unnecessary or deadair spaces onthe way which would tend to retard or precipitate the dustwithin the blower cavity; and finally, that lthe partition between theblower cavity and the motor chamber completely isolates and protects thelatter chamber and its contents from the dust and dirt arising from thecleaning. And it has been found in practice that the suction oftheblower will liftk a carpet upward against the lower edges of the case,thus drawing all the air into the blower through the carpet andpositively cleaning the body thereof.

The stator-31 is secured in the motor section of the case, in properposition around the rotor 22, and the terminal-wire cable 32 which leadsfrom any suitable and accessible source of ower, isentered through thethimble 33 1n the wall of the case, as shown in Fig. 3. .One wire 3.4 isconnected through' the stator, diagrammatically shown at 31;L in Fig. 3,with the bindin post 36, and the` other wire 35- is connecte with thebinding ost 37; which binding -posts Aare secured with suitableinsulation on the under side of the `ver 2a of the motor section of thecase. e binding post 36 is connected by the bus bar 38 with the pivot 39of the switch 40 and the binding post 37 is con nected with the contactpiece lll. The switch 40 is'pivoted at 39 intermediate its ends, and oneend thereof is adapted to be rotated into and out of contact with thepiece 41. lThe other end of the switch is located in the path of the pin42 on the gear wheel 43 secured on the short axle 44, which axle isjournaled in the bearings 45 and 45 formed in or attached to the coverof the case.

The collar 46 is rotatably mounted ou the tubular bearing 20 around thespindle-between the hub of the rotor and the cover of the case, and issupported by the flange 47. On the upper end of the collar is formed orattached the pinion 48 whiehfis arranged to mesh with and to be operatedby the gear wheel 43; and on the lower end of the collar is formed orattached the radial plates 49 on which are pivoted the 4centrifugal-dogs50, the same being provided with the detents 51 and the weights 52, andbeing connected with the plates by the springs 53. Inthe upper end ofthe hub 24 of the rotor are provlded the notches 54 in which the detentsof the dogs are adapted to engage when the weights of the dogs arethrown outward and the detents inward by the rotation of the rotor,which engagement is normally prevented by the action of the springs.

The crank 55 on the top of the case is connected with the axle 44 ofthe. gear wheel, and it is evident that by turning this crank to rotatethe gear wheel in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 3, the collar46 will be rotated by the gear, which will throw the weights of the dogsoutward and the detente inward to engage with the notches in the hub ofthe rotor, which engagement starts the rotor; and that when the wheelhas been turned so that its pin 42 will strike the near end of theswitch, the other end will be thrown into contact with the piece 40,thus closing the electric circuit, whereby the rotation of the rotor,which has been started by the dogs, is continued by the electriccurrent. By -reversing the rotation of thel cog wheel by its crank, thepin on the wheel will strike thereverse side of the near end of theswitch and throw the other end out of contact with the piece 40, thusopening the circuit. The impinved end of the switch is preferably madesufhcientlyflexible and elastic so that it will spring out of the pathof the pin after the switch has been opened or closed, and then resumeits normal position.

lt. is evident that by forming the partition between the motor andblower sections of the case in the shape of an inverted cone, with itscenter depressed into the cavity of the blower section, and by formingthe lower journal bearing for the spindle in the depressed center ofthis partition, the necessary height of the machine is materiallyreduced, which permits the machine to be readily entered under articlesof furniture even thou h the bottoms thereof are quite close to t efloor. It will be understood, however, that the use of such a partitionor of any partition at all, is not essential to the other features ofthe machine, for the upper closed wall of the fan serves, in a generalway, to shield the motor chamber of the case; and it is furthermoreevident that when the inverted-cone shaped partition is employed, itisnot essential to employ the inverted-cone shaped wall on the upper sideof the fan for the purpose of detlecting the dirt outward, for the faceof tlm parution can well serve this purpose; but it is preferred toemploy the partition to more completely close the motor chamber, and toem- .ploy the coned fan wall for more positively controlling the aircurrent and delecting the dirt.

While the open bottom of the blower section, which constitutes thebottom of the machine, has been referred to in the' description as thelower side thereof, it is quite evident that considering the cylindricshape of the-case, the top and bot-tom of the same can be very properlyand more generally referred to as the ends of the case; and forconvenience and conciseness in diction, the upper and lower portions ofthe case are referred to in the claims as the ends thereof.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,isv 1. A machine for cleaning carpets, ioors and the like, including acyllndric case provided with an outlet and having one end open andpresented to the carpet, an axial spindle in the case, a fan withbrushes on the spindle in the end opening of the case and a rotary motoron the spindle inside the fan, whereby dirt is loosened from the carpetby the brushes, then sucked into the open end of the case and dischargedthrough the outlet.

2. -A machine for cleaning carpets, floors and the like, including acylindric case provided with an outlet and having one end open andpresented to the carpet, an axial spindle in the case, a fan on thespindle in the endopening of the case substantially `flush with the edgethereof and a rotary motor on the spindle inside the fan, whereby dirtis sucked from the carpet into the open end of the case and dischargedthrough the outlet.

3. A machine for cleaning carpets, floors and the like, including acylindric case having one end open and presented to the carpet, a crossvpartition intermediate the ends of the case and coned centrally towardthe end opening thereof, an axial spindle journaled in the conedpartition, a fan on the spindle in the end opening of the casesubstantially flush with the edge thereof and a rotary motor on thespindle inside the partition.

4. A machine for cleaning carpets, Afloors 5 and the like, includingacyllndriccase having one end open and presented to the carpet, and aco-axial rotary fan with brushes 1'n the end opening of the case andhaving an inner wall coned centrally toward the open 1o end of the case.

5. A machine for cleanin carpets, loors and the like, includn a cy mdriccase hav- 111g one end open an presented to the carpet, and a co-axialrotary fan in the end ogening of the case,y substantially Hush with 15,t e edge thereof.v

CHARLES L. 'GOUGHNOUR Witnesses:

RUTH A.M1LLER,

